The University of Miami Graduate Training Program in clinical and Translational Investigation (UM-GTPTCI) will engage qualified healthcare professionals in a highly integrated and cross-disciplinary program which will further the discipline of translational science by providing a foundation for the development of future academic researchers and leaders. The overall goal of this curriculum development award is to engage promising new investigators and early stage investigators (ESIs) in the discipline of translational science, so that they make the pursuit of academic translational science their own professional goal. This will be achieved through three specific aims: [1): Exposure:
We aim at exposing vast numbers of chnical trainees to clinical research and specifically to translational science. (2) Training: Those who have been exposed to translational science and have the necessary credentials will be candidates to enter our new Masters Program in Translational and Clinical Investigation. Our curriculum development efforts supported by this K30 application will lead to this new Masters of Science Degree. (3) Career development: During and after successful completion of training we will develop new mechanisms for career development and retention of junior faculty. Such mechanisms include the institutional K12 program and the emerging Miami Scholars Program. An important function of the curriculum development award structure to be supported by this grant will be to evaluate the effectiveness of the UM- GTPTCl and to make adaptive changes in the Program based upon the results. The formal evaluation process will include a structured process aimed at the following goals: (a) assessing the history of the participants, (b) assessing the Masters Program, (c) determining terminal cognate outcomes, which are reflected in meeting criteria for graduation, and (d) evaluating the outcomes that follow the intervention. Innovative components of the program will include training structures aimed at addressing translational research training applied to diverse ethnic communities and a focus on recruiting and training members of those same under represented communities so that they can become academic leaders able to optimally engage their own communities. The program also includes structured procedure to develop and improve mentorship skills.

Public Health Relevance

(provided by the applicant): South Florida has a population base of over 6 million people of the most diverse backgrounds. There is currently here no advanced degree in Translational and Clinical Science. We propose a curriculum development effort aimed at creating an innovative program of career development and a Masters Program in Translational and Clinical Investigation focused on engaging minority populations in translational medicine.